Photoautotrophic growth achieved by interspecies interactions

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14812
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: HARUTA Shin 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (50359642)
• Research Collaborator: Fredrickson Jim Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 主任研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 共生 / 光合成 / 独立栄養 / 炭酸固定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Transcriptomic profiles were determined for C. aggregans-dominated microbial communities developed in hot springs. Comparative analysis of the profiles between day and night indicated that C. aggregans actively grows photoautotrophicaly using sulfide as the electron source. However, this growth was not observed in C. aggregans strains isolated from the hot springs. Effects of co-existing bacteria on the growth of C. aggregans were evaluated. Co-culture experiments found that fermentative bacteria and sulfur-disproportionating bacteria helped the autotrophic growth of C. aggregans. Results obtained in this study indicate that supply of sulfide and consumption of elemental sulfur by sulfur-disproportionation effectively support the sulfide-dependent photoautotrophic growth of C. aggregans.

Free Research Field

微生物生態学